Application of ICmetrics for Embedded System Security

Integrated Circuit Metrics (ICmetrics) technology is concerned with the extraction of measurable features of an embedded system, capable of uniquely identifying the system's behaviour. Any changes in these identifiers (profiles) during consequent devices' operation would signal about a possible safety or security breach within the electronic system. This paper explores the combination of program counter (PC) and Cycles per Instructions (CPI) of a processor core as a potential ICmetrics source for embedded system security. The use of this combination exhibits that while isolated PC values may not always generate a stable identifier (profile) for a device that would distinguish the device from the rest in a considered set, the PC and CPI sequences and frequencies in the execution flow may serve as suitable ICmetrics features.